10/1/09 Fox River Saw wee Kee

[Ken G]

Got out for a couple of hours late afternoon in the rain. It wasn't that bad till the wind picked up near the end. The swallows were skimming the surface of the water, by the hundreds. I thought that was a good sign as I was walking along the river to the put in point. Maybe it was just good for the swallows.

As soon as I got on the waters edge I knew it was going to be tough fishing. The water was clearer than I had ever seen it this time of year. It usually doesn't look like this till December. The cold weather and water kills off all the algae and their aren't any more algae blooms in the death pools above the dams. So no green stained water.

I knew I would have to get behind the islands in the deeper water in order to do any good. Sometimes the smallies will be in the shallows warming themselves, but that's pretty rare under these conditions.

One smallie was sitting in about 18 inches of water. The other 4 landed were all in deeper water. Missed another 6 with two of those hitting so hard and fast that they pulled the rod tip down into the water. I'm getting real tired of that part of my fishing this year. Far too many of the bigger ones missed.

With these conditions it's probably best to bring along a bucked of minnows if you want to catch numbers. I used to seine my own bait at Glenwood Forest Preserve. It's the easiest place to do that. But my net and bucket have disappeared and I don't fish with bait enough to make it worth replacing either one.

Don't know how much more I'll be getting out this year anyway. Pezdek has mentioned walleye, but not sure I care enough to go pursue them. I guess I'm a smallie snob. Or panfish from a pond. Don't care much one way or the other for many of the other species.

But then, this rain should be bringing some salmon and trout up into the Milwaukee River. Haven't done that in years. At least they don't fight like you're dragging a wet sock off the bottom of the river, like walleye fight.

I never did figure out what the swallows were after.

[MattC]

At least they don't fight like you're dragging a wet sock off the bottom of the river, like walleye fight.

I never did figure out what the swallows were after.

Hey, i've had a Hanes knee high that put up quite the fight.

[Special Ed]

Thanks for the creek report Ken. Mill creek is a bit out of my way, but S.W.K. is right down the street for me. I'll have to check it out when conditions are more favorable.

Other than the rains we are having putting a little color in the water, I think for the most part the Fox is running real clear like you have said. With the upcoming drop in temps, and rising water, I imagine there will be good piles of fish in some of the deeper slow-moving holes just off the current.

I'm still on the fence about wading in the morning. As of right now the Montgomery dam is reading 1020 cfs. 1500 is the fastest I have ever experienced in the last 5 years. I imagine I wouldn't have to get into the main current at most of the spots I have been referred to, so worst case scenario I run a scouting mission.

Wonder what that creek would look like in the morning........

[Ed79]

Got out for a couple of hours late afternoon in the rain. It wasn't that bad till the wind picked up near the end. The swallows were skimming the surface of the water, by the hundreds. I thought that was a good sign as I was walking along the river to the put in point. Maybe it was just good for the swallows.

As soon as I got on the waters edge I knew it was going to be tough fishing. The water was clearer than I had ever seen it this time of year. It usually doesn't look like this till December. The cold weather and water kills off all the algae and their aren't any more algae blooms in the death pools above the dams. So no green stained water.

I knew I would have to get behind the islands in the deeper water in order to do any good. Sometimes the smallies will be in the shallows warming themselves, but that's pretty rare under these conditions.

One smallie was sitting in about 18 inches of water. The other 4 landed were all in deeper water. Missed another 6 with two of those hitting so hard and fast that they pulled the rod tip down into the water. I'm getting real tired of that part of my fishing this year. Far too many of the bigger ones missed.

With these conditions it's probably best to bring along a bucked of minnows if you want to catch numbers. I used to seine my own bait at Glenwood Forest Preserve. It's the easiest place to do that. But my net and bucket have disappeared and I don't fish with bait enough to make it worth replacing either one.

Don't know how much more I'll be getting out this year anyway. Pezdek has mentioned walleye, but not sure I care enough to go pursue them. I guess I'm a smallie snob. Or panfish from a pond. Don't care much one way or the other for many of the other species.

But then, this rain should be bringing some salmon and trout up into the Milwaukee River. Haven't done that in years. At least they don't fight like you're dragging a wet sock off the bottom of the river, like walleye fight.

I never did figure out what the swallows were after.

The couple walleye that I have caught this year, so far, I couldn't tell that it wasn't a smallie until I got it into arm's reach. The one I caught the other night actually turned downstream twice on me, and took out drag, just like a smallie would. That walleye was only about sixteen inches too. They seem to be really energetic, at least right now. My brother can attest to that as well I would think. Obviously they're not fighting like a smallie of similiar size, but it certainly hasn't been a set the hook and drag them in type of fight.

[Ken G]

They seem to be really energetic, at least right now.

I hate to say it, but I noticed that too. Wonder if it has anything to do with the cooler than usual year. I'm not used to them actually putting up a fight, just rolling over.

[Ed79]

Walleye are really strange in that, the colder the water, the more energetic they seem to be. Basically the opposite of most other fish, that become more active and energetic as the weather warms up. I think it has to do with Walleye requiring a higher oxygen level in the water to really thrive. Colder water holds higher oxygen levels, so it makes sense. Plant growth seemed to be pretty good on the Fox this year too. Add to that, the really wet spring we had, and the fast moving river most of the year, and you have a pretty good recipe for high dissolved oxygen levels in the rivers. The river basically went from extremely fast moving, to low levels. There wasn't much in between. Low river levels create a lot of rapids and riffles, which in turn oxygenates the water even more. So, basically, this year has been a really good year for oxygen levels in the Fox. Sounds logical, anyway. Maybe I'm just talking out of my ass.